Employed mother forced to rely on food banks at Christmas

I never thought I'd need food banks.

- Radhika Sanghani, The Independent

I've worked full time as a teaching assistant in a primary school for 18 years. I've raised four adult children in their twenties and thirties, without ever going on benefits or needing charitable support. Even when my husband and I divorced 15 years ago, and my youngest son was only one, I got by just fine. But in recent years, things have changed. Everything is more expensive than it used to be. My rent has gone up, all the bills and council tax have gone up, but my salary — around £1,300 a month after taxes — has barely increased. Once my direct debits for the bills and rent come out on the day I get paid, I'm only left with a few hundred pounds for the rest of the month. It's just not enough.It wasn't an easy decision to go to food banks. I went for the first time two years ago. When I got to my local food bank in Peckham, I felt really sad. I was also ashamed. I didn't want anyone to see me. But when I saw how many people were there, including many working parents like myself, I stopped feeling so shy. There were so many of us, normal people, just trying to make ends meet. I came home with vegetables, potatoes, chicken, tomatoes — it was everything I'd normally buy, but it saved me money that I can use for something else. I can't afford the luxuries of eating out and going to the cinema like I used to, and I hardly buy new clothes,